SANDRA ROBERTS | MEET A LOCAL… CANDIDATE

POSTMARK: OCTOBER 2018

Before Kimberley hit the polls (voting polls, not ski poles) to vote for Mayor, City Council, and School Trustees, we figured it would be a good idea to try and “MEET A LOCAL” all the local candidates. And that is how City Council candidate Sandra Roberts (spoiler alert: Sandra was re-elected) came to metaphorically stop by the blog to say "hey" and leave behind some tips for getting the most out of a life lived (or a visit visited) around Highway 95 eh.And you can still read that conversation below.

WHO ARE YOU & WHAT DO YOU DO?

I am a long time Kimberley resident having moved here in 1950. I went to school here, then moved away for 10 years. Upon my return, I married an old friend and have remained here since. I have spent my years in Kimberley employed at Kimberley Credit Union which merged to become Kootenay Savings Credit Union and I retired in 2005 as the General Manager. I have always been a community volunteer and with a few others developed and remodelled Centre 64 to become the art centre that it is today. I have been a Rotarian since 1993 and rose to the position of District Governor, overseeing Rotary Clubs in Southeastern BC, Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle. I held the position of President of the Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Representative on the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce. I have also acted as a Governor of the College of the Rockies. Together with my husband, Bill, we are Hardrock Publishing; supporting sales of his book ‘The Best Miners in the World; Stories from Canada’s Sullivan Mine.’

WHY LIVE AROUND HIGHWAY 95 EH?

My husband worked underground and I chose to stay in Kimberley when we married. In 2008, we were disenchanted with the state of the city so we moved away for two years. We were not able to sell our house so we returned. Since I am not one to sit around and complain, I decided to find ways to make things better. That was when I decided to run for the Kimberley City Council. I’m extremely happy to see that the Strategic Planning that we put in place four years ago is starting to bear fruit.

IF SOMEONE IS ONLY IN THE AREA FOR A FEW DAYS, WHAT WOULD BE ON YOUR LIST OF MUST-DO’S?

Item number one would be Go to the Station and take the Underground Mining Tour. It is the best of its kind in the province. One should also check out the 168 miles of trails in and around Kimberley for either walking, running or cycling. The views are unstoppable. Winter – it’s all about the skiing and hockey.

I’M HUNGRY… WHERE SHOULD I GO TO FIX THIS REOCCURRING PROBLEM?

There are no bad places to eat in Kimberley - every place offers a unique dining experience, even my breakfast table. Clamato juice anyone?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY AND YOUR TOP PLACE AROUND HERE FOR DOING THAT ACTIVITY?

Along with many others, I love to attend events at Centre 64. The variety of entertainment can’t be beat.

Everyone should put down their devices and be VOLUNTEERING. Note the Capital letters. Every group or person needs help with something and you will always get back much more than you give.

OK, ACTUAL FINALLY… ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2018 KIMBERLEY WILL BE HITTING THE POLLS TO VOTE FOR CITY COUNCIL AND YOU ARE ONE OF THE CANDIDATES, SO — IF YOU HAD TO CONDENSE YOUR RUNNING PLATFORM DOWN TO A PARAGRAPH OR TWO, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?

If you are thinking about who to give your vote to on October 20th, I would appreciate it if you would consider me. I have worked hard in a fair and honest manner to deal with all of your concerns with the desire to make Kimberley a Good Place to Be.

ALRIGHT, THAT'S ALL THE Q'S AND A'S FOR THIS Q&A. IF YOU’D LIKE SOME MORE INFO ON WHO ELSE WAS ELECTED TO CITY COUNCIL IN THE 2018 ELECTION, JUMP ON OVER TO THE CITY’S WEBSITE (THERE’S ALSO MORE INFO FOR EACH COUNCILLOR).

IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN DOING A Q&A LIKE THIS YOURSELF (AS A PERSON OR AS YOUR BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION) OR IF YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING / COLLABORATING ON SOMETHING ELSE 95EH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND A "HEY!" TO: